On behalf of the City of Haines City Team, I want to thank each of you who joined us Monday, May 29th, for Haines City's Memorial Day Ceremony. It was such a special time of honoring the brave men and women who have given their all for America to truly be: "the land of the free". Part of Haines City's heartbeat is to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

This year's Memorial Day Ceremony was indeed special. It is so important to intentionally take time to remember the great costs of our freedom. Let us have grateful hearts for the brave men and women who died for our country. Thank you to all the ceremony attendees, speakers, and performers for doing a fantastic job! Displayed below are a few snapshots of the 2017 Memorial Day Ceremony.

Pictured above are the wonderful attendees of Haines City's Memorial Day Ceremony!

Pictured above are a few American Legion Riders who attended Haines City's Memorial Day Ceremony. Thank you for your service!

Food Truck Friday We are super excited for our first Food Truck Friday coming up in just a few weeks! We have partnered with Orlando Food Trucks to bring some of Central Florida’s best food trucks to Haines City! Please join us in treating your palate to tasty, unique, and fun food! Click here to stay in the loop with our Facebook Event Page! Check out the info flyer to the right!

When: Friday, June 16, 2017, 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Where: Lake Eva Park

The event trucks scheduled are the following*:

Box on the Road

German Grill

French Fry Junction

Cousins Maine Lobster

Florida Juice Company

Peru Power

Tacoz Mazatlan

Lees Famous Cheese Steaks

Ice Cream Social Club

Wholey Smokey Waffles

*List is subject to change

Thunder On The Ridge Haines City’s annual 4th of July Celebration, Thunder on the Ridge, presented by Miracle Toyota and Murphy Family Insurance, is the prime spot for entertainment, arts and crafts vendors, a beer garden, food concessions and children’s activities!

A tradition since the 1990’s, Thunder on the Ridge continues to offer our community one of the largest one-day family friendly events in Polk County. Over 30,000 people come from Polk County and beyond to participate in the fun festivities, flavorful food, groovy, live music, engaging games, and unique shopping opportunities at craft and community booths.

This exciting event features various artists singing several genres of music. Artists will take the stage beginning at 3:00 p.m. and run through until the dazzling fireworks begin! The evening will be wrapped up in a flashing manner with the largest fireworks display in Polk County! Click here to stay in the loop with our Facebook Event Page!

Parks and Recreation will host the British Soccer Camp July 10-14, 2017. The camp is designed to improve the skills necessary to compete in the game of soccer. More importantly, the coaches will instruct within a framework of character development based on respect, responsibility, integrity, leadership, and sportsmanship. Register online at www.challengersports.com.

Mini Soccer - 3-5 years | 8 a.m.-9 a.m. | $85

Half Day Camp - 6-9 years | 9 a.m.-12 p.m. | $125

Half Day Camp - 10-14 years | 9 a.m.-12 p.m. | $125

Summer Basketball Camp

Parks and Recreation is excited to host a Summer Basketball Camp for children ages 6-14 during the week of July 10th – July 14th at the Oakland Gymnasium! The camp will be in good hands as Haines City High School’s Head Basketball, Coach Gregory Pritchett, will be leading the instruction! Registration is open now until June 30th and is only $50.00 for the whole week! Sign up now to reserve your child’s spot!

Youth Indoor Soccer

We are excited for another great season of Youth Indoor Soccer! Last week was the first week of pre-season practices for the 195 athletes and 20 volunteer coaches involved with the 11 week season.

Good luck to all teams throughout the 2017 Youth Indoor Soccer Season! Make sure to bring your running shoes, A-game, and water! We're excited to cheer you on!

*A special thank you to Sign Now Sports and their World Championship Team for coming out to hold a clinic for coaches and for their ongoing assistance in refereeing and training throughout the 2017 Season!*

Check out the pictures above of our Youth Indoor Soccer athletes in action!

City Clerk's Office

City Clerk Linda Bourgeois

Ethics Training!

This workshop will fulfill your annual ethics requirement! Please join us Wednesday, June 14, 2017, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. For more information, please see the attached flyer below.

Through the effort of the City, the Haines City Economic Development Council, and its CEO, Cindy Jantomaso, ALDI Inc. filed plans with the City of Haines City for a 201,227 sq. ft. warehouse expansion. This will be the first of two major expansions planned for ALDI’s Regional Distribution Center in Haines City.

According to Brian McGee, National Warehouse Coordinator, ALDI Inc. Saxonburg Division, “We [ALDI Inc.] will create 100 new jobs over three years after the remodel is complete. Of those, 30 will meet the county guidelines for full-time over the 115% county average. The rest will average 35 hours a week, some will be over the average, some below based on requested time off, etc. and will pay an average of $32,000 a year with full benefits available; Medical, Dental and Vision, along with a 401k that has up to a 5% match. Our target completion date is December 1st, 2018.”

Human Resources

Director of Human Resources Donna Parker

Below is a listing of positions open to receive applications. All interested applicants are required to submit an employment application, unless otherwise instructed on the City's website position announcement page.

Employment Applications and copies of complete position announcements are located on the City of Haines City's website atwww.hainescity.com. (When completing the on-line application please save it to your computer and attach it via an e-mail to jobs@hainescity.com.)

The list below does not contain complete position announcements, and may have one or more vacancies available. To see the entire position announcements, please visitwww.hainescity.comemployment opportunities and click on the position title. Positions are considered "Open Until Filled," unless otherwise denoted. Corresponding pay grade ranges are included to represent earning potential and shall not be an assumption of potential starting wage, which will most likely be at the minimum rate of pay. If a conditional offer of employment is made, please note everything included during the application process will be verified.

The HR Connection is an informative monthly newsletter designed to keep employees informed on hot HR topics, follow-up items, and welcoming new employees to the City of Haines City Team. Check out theJune 2017 Newsletter!

The countywide burn ban for Polk is scheduled to lift Friday, June 9th.

Haines City Public Library

Parks & Recreation Director Auburn Taylor

The Library is more than just books. The opportunity for adventure can be discovered for all ages at the Library with the Needlework Group, Scrabble Club, Story Times, Teen Programs, and movies every month in English and Español. Come find your heartbeat at the Haines City Public Library!

Adults

Adults Activities Update Adult activities for June 2017 include a special after-hours showing of La La Land, June 13th, at 6:30 p.m. La La Land is a romantic musical starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. Our regular Adult Activities continues through the summer.

Family Movie

The Library will show Beauty & The Beast in English, Saturday, June 10th, at 10:30 a.m. The film will be shown in Spanish, Saturday, June 17th, at 10:30 a.m.

Legion of Geeks

This stellar event is held the second Tuesday of every month. The next Legion of Geeks is Tuesday, June 13th, from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Join the Haines City Public Library for a night of geeking out and comic book reading. Stay updated by downloading your own Library Calendars (attached below).

Literati Book Club | The Founding Mothers by Cokie RobertsThe Literati Book Club meets monthly in the Librarian’s office to discuss the selected book. Reserve your copy at the front desk today. The next meeting is Thursday, June 15th, at 2:00 p.m. Drop by the library for more information.

NeedleworkJoin us every Monday and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at the Haines City Public Library for our needlework group! Share ideas, laughs, and pointers with friends while you work on your projects. This fun and crafty group meets in the Young Adult Room.

Pigments of Your Imagination Bring out your imagination and relieve some stress in our weekly adult coloring club! Supplies are provided. This is held every Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Scrabble ClubPut on your thinking caps and pull out your dictionaries for our weekly Scrabble Club. This event is held every Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and is located in the Young Adult Room.

Children and Young Adults

Children’s Movies The Library will show children’s movies Monday afternoons, at 2:30 p.m., starting June 12th. The movies for June are the following: June 12th - Sing, June 19th - Moana, and June 26th - Trolls.

Family Movie

The Library will show Beauty & The Beast in English, Saturday, June 10th, at 10:30 a.m. The film will be shown in Spanish, Saturday, June 17th, at 10:30 a.m.

Kids Game Night

This month, Kids Game Night will be hosted June 8th and June 22nd! Families with kids ages 12 and under can play the Wii, different board games, and much more in the Community Room! Join us from 3:30 p.m. -5:30 p.m. for a fun time!

Legion of Geeks

This stellar event is held the second Tuesday of every month. The next Legion of Geeks is Tuesday, June 13th, from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Join the Haines City Public Library for a night of geeking out and comic book reading. Stay updated by downloading your own Library Calendars (attached below).

LEGO® Bricks Club June 15th and June 29th, from 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., kids of all ages are invited to come and let their imaginations soar with LEGO® Building Bricks! This program is located in the Community Room. Stay updated with the Library Calendars (attached below)!

Minecraft The Children’s Department will be incredibly busy with fun this summer! Minecraft is coming to the Library Wednesday afternoons from 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., beginning June 7th - August 2nd.

Teen Advisory Board (TAB)Join our TAB group Monday, June 26th, at 4:30 p.m., to help make programs for teens better and better. Your voice is important! This is for students in grades 6th – 12th and is located in the Young Adult Room.

Teen GamesTuesday, June 6th, from 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., teens in the 6th-12th grade bracket were invited to come and play Xbox, Wii, and board games. Snacks are provided at this cool event! This hangout is located in the Young Adult Room. Stay updated with the Library Calendars (attached below) so you don't miss all the fun this month!

Teen Movies The teen movies are going to be Friday afternoons at 2:30 p.m. starting June 16th. The movies for June are: June 16th - Monster Trucks; June 23rd - Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life; June 30th - Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. Bring some friends with you and come enjoy some sweet films!

Teen Summer CraftsAttention Middle School and High School students! Join us Tuesdays from 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. to make some awesome crafts! Teen Summer Crafts will be held June 13th, June 20th, and June 27th. This creative time is hosted in the Young Adult Room. Stay updated with the Library Calendars (attached below) so you don't miss all the fun this month!

Tween & Teen Book Club | Summer Reading ChallengeMonday, June 26th, join a cool book discussion for ages 10 – 18. This will be hosted in the Young Adult Room.

Stay Connected With All Our Upcoming Events!

Want to know what is going on at the Haines City Public Library? Check out our Facebook page and get the scoop. You can also see what's going on at the Library by viewing our calendar for adults and children!

In the coming months the Parks Department will continue several improvement projects around the city as well as begin several others.

Landscaping removal, renovations and improvements on U.S. Highway 27 began May 1, 2017.

Oakland Cemetery South has new fencing installed and will be receiving new trash receptacles soon. Oakland Cemetery North will also be receiving new trash receptacles as well as sitting benches, granite block markers and shade structures.

Benches and trash receptacles will also be added to the Haines City Trail corridor from Grace Avenue to Lilly Avenue.

The Cook Field baseball diamond will be converted from a football practice field back into a usable baseball/softball diamond.

Police Department

Deputy Police Chief James "Jim" Elensky

Haines City Crime Update

Throughout the last few years the entire State of Florida has been plagued with organized crime related to cargo thefts. Criminals steal entire trucks, trailers, and electronic control modules inside of the trucks. Listed below are a few incidents that have occurred in recent months.

March 8, 2017, a victim reported that his vehicle had just been stolen. The stolen vehicle crashed into a vehicle full of foreign tourist causing extensive injuries to the occupants. The suspect fled the crash scene in the stolen vehicle and later crashed into a tree which caused the airbag to deploy. The suspect fled the area on foot and law enforcement was not able to locate the suspect. The Crime Scene Unit responded and processed the vehicle for anything of evidentiary value. DNA from the airbag was matched to the suspect, Ramiro Silva. An arrest warrant was obtained charging the suspect with Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle and Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Injuries.

April 15, 2017, unknown suspects burglarized three semi-trucks which were parked at Brads Tires. The suspect(s) stole the electronic control modules valued at approximately $10,000. Officer Newell was tasked with processing the burglarized trucks for anything of evidentiary value. He obtained a latent print from the truck and the print was identified to Wilson Medina.

Central Florida Regional Planning Council (CFRPC) and the City of Polk City would like to invite you to WaterWise Expo, a freeevent in the City of Polk City featuring exhibits and informational presentations on all things water! This event will help all residents and the Polk community learn how to conserve our natural resources while saving money! Please see the attached flyer for more information.

Friday, May 26th, Haines City High School CAS Club spent the afternoon doing a service project at Lake Eva Park. Nineteen students helped clean up Lake Eva Park, the shoreline of Lake Eva, and the Haines City Trail.

CAS (creativity, action, service) is a student-run volunteer organization at Haines City International Baccalaureate East. “Creativity” encompasses a wide range of artistic activities as well as the creativity which members demonstrate in designing and implementing service projects. “Action” emphasizes not only participation in individual and team sports, but also taking part in expeditions both locally and internationally. “Service” encompasses a host of local, national, and international outreach activities.

Thank you, HCHS CAS, for your service in the Haines City Community!

Aquatics

*NEW HOURS!* The Haines City Aquatics Center will now be open seven days a week from 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Admission into the Aquatics Center is $5.00 per person for ages one and older.

Pool Safety – Have a Blast & Play Safe

No denim shorts or pants and No shorts with buttons or zippers. Proper swim wear required.

No coolers or outside food or drink will be permitted. There is a concession stand on-site.

No diapers allowed in pools. Children that wear diapers must wear a swim diaper (i.e. Huggies Little Swimmers). Swim Diapers may be purchased for $3.00 each.

No flotation devices (i.e. water wings, inflatable floats and life vests, and life vests with clips or buckles). Only life vests with zippers are allowed.

Cultural Arts

Ceramics

We welcome you to join us for our self-guided, ongoing ceramics class. First, choose your piece to be poured into a mold and fired. Then, once it is finished you will get to paint it! This class is held Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and is $2.00 per class, in addition to the fee of your canvas and the one time yearly Parks & Recreation fee of $10.00. You must be 18 years or older to join. Check out the Ceramics flyer below!

Heidi's Academy of the Performing Arts

The Oakland Neighborhood Center is the new home for Heidi's Academy of the Performing Arts! Age eligibility is from three years and older. There is still time to register your child for this new and exciting program! Classes will be held Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6:00 p.m. in the Oakland Auditorium! Check out the attached flyer and Instructor Heidi's biography below!

Oil Painting

Have you ever had an inkling to put a brush with paint on it to paper...to create something wonderful? We want you to join us to learn techniques in fine art traditional oils and have fun with our instructors Peggy Curry and Nick Roberts. Classes are held Mondays from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. It is $20.00 per class, in addition to the one time yearly Parks & Recreation fee of $10.00. Please call (863) 289-4057 for the next available class. Check to see the Oil Painting flyer below!

Wellness

Karate

Join Sensi Harry Vidal for Okinawa Shorin Ryu Karate! In this epic class, he teaches children positive attitudes, self-discipline, goals, and self-defense skills! The class is held at the Lake Eva Community Center Monday and Thursday evenings from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. for children ages 5-16.

Zumba® Our Zumba® Fitness Instructor Janet Gomez just celebrated her 9th year of instructing this fun and calorie-burning exercise class! Congrats Janet! Her classes recently came together and held one big celebration at the Lake Eva Community Center. Check out some pictures of her Zumba® classes below! Make sure to come out this amazingly fun way to stay healthy!

Zumba® FitnessZumba® Fitness is held Thursday nights from 5-6 p.m. Zumba® takes the "work" out of the workout by mixing low-intensity and high-intensity moves for an interval-style, calorie-burning dance fitness party. Wear comfortable clothes and come ready to have fun! Check out the Zumba® Fitness flyer below!

Zumba® ToningZumba® toning is held weekly Tuesday nights from 6-7 p.m. If you love Zumba® and are ready to challenge yourself more, then this class is for you! This class takes the moves that you already learned from Zumba® Fitness and mixes in light, handheld weights to help you tone up those muscles!

Aqua Zumba®This class is at the Haines City Aquatic Center, located at Lake Eva Park, Monday and Wednesday nights from 6:15 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. (There will be no classes held June 5th - June 14th. Classes will pick back up June 19th). This program is perfect for those looking to make a splash by adding a low-impact, high-energy aquatic exercise to their fitness routine! There is less impact on your joints during an Aqua Zumba® class, so you can let loose in a fun, joint-friendly way. Water creates natural resistance, which means every step is more challenging and helps tone your muscles! Check out the Aqua Zumba® flyer below!

Please review the attached document below to find out how the Haines City community can comply with Southwest Florida Water Management District in making the most out of the water usage in our area. These new restrictions will be put into action starting Monday, June 5th.

Also, click here for more information from the Southwest Florida Water Management District website!

Congratulations!

Please help the Utilities Department “Congratulate” Willie White on obtaining his Class C Wastewater License with the Department of Environmental Regulations May 9, 2017. Willie came to the City of Haines City Wastewater Division as a Part-Time Service Worker in January 2014.

In July 2014, Willie was promoted to a Full-Time Wastewater Operator Trainee. Willie is not only an asset to the City in the service he provides through his job, but he also is an active Deacon and serves in the music department at the Pentecostal Church of God here in Haines City.

Willie says he would like to thank God, his parents, Haines City Management, and his spiritual leaders that have helped him grow and meet his goals.

Haines City Utilities Staff looks forward to working with Willie in his new position!

The City of Haines City would like to thank all of our excellent, dedicated employees and volunteers who help make the City a great place to work, live and play. We would not be able to serve our community well without the dedicated, excellent employees and volunteers! Have you "Watched Outstanding Work" within the City lately? Let us know at wow@hainescity.com.

Welcome Aboard!

Haines City Family,

Please join us in welcoming our new City Employees!

Elizabeth Pierre-Pierre

Elizabeth is the new Part-Time Recreation Attendant at the Lake Eva Park Community Center and Oakland Neighborhood Center. She joins our team with experience in customer service and enjoys reading.

Elizabeth Ramos

Elizabeth is the new Online Services Specialist at the Haines City Public Library. She is an avid contributor to her community and performs many hours of community services. Elizabeth is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Frederick Sampson

Fred has joined the awesome custodial team within the Facility Maintenance Division. He has lived in Haines City for seven years with his wife of 25 years. He has four children, seven grandchildren and three dogs. Fred previously worked at Holly Hill for 20 years doing day to day maintenance of the citrus juice plant.

Rosa Hernandez

Rosa also has joined the custodial team within the Facility Maintenance Division. Rosa has experience with housekeeping, heavy machinery operation, and grocery warehouse logistics. She also enjoys cooking and spending time with her family.

With great gratitude, we welcome each of these new employees to the City of Haines City Team!

City Commission

Mayor Roy Tyler

History Made!

When Commissioner Anne Huffman was sworn in as a Commissioner for Haines City, she became the first African American woman to ever serve the citizens of Haines City in this capacity. Commissioner Huffman has recently been appointed to the Florida League of Cities Municipal Administration Committee representing the Heartbeat of Florida: Haines City.

City Commission meetings are regularly scheduled every first and third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m., and are held in the Commission Chambers at City Hall, 620 E. Main Street.